WTO

WTO chief Okonjo-Iweala reinstated for second term as trade wars loom

World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was reappointed for a second term at a special meeting on Friday, the trade watchdog said, meaning her tenure will coincide with U.S. President-elect…

Read More Here

WTO says its trade growth estimates appear ‘overly optimistic’

The World Trade Organization will likely cut its estimates for goods trade growth for 2023 and 2024 due to a less buoyant global economy and the potential impact of disruptions…

Read More Here

WTO warns of ‘real’ recession risk in some major economies

Recession in major economies will hit emerging, poor nations Resumed U.S.-China leaders' dialogue 'very helpful' -WTO head Hopeful of break-through in WTO reform talks next year WTO urging G20 nations…

Read More Here

WTO awards Canada future right to impose duties on U.S. goods

GENEVA (Reuters) - Canada has the right to impose tariffs on U.S. imports in the future to ward off the threat of the United States penalising Canadian manufacturers for alleged unfair subsidies,…

Read More Here

FACTBOX-What has the WTO ministerial conference achieved?

GENEVA, June 17 (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization's 164 members approved a series of trade agreements early on Friday that included commitments on fish and pledges on health and food security…

Read More Here

WTO strikes global trade deals deep into overtime

GENEVA, June 17 (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization's164 members approved a series of trade agreements early on Friday that included commitments on fish and pledges on health and food security after more than five gruelling days of negotiations. The deals…

Read More Here

COVID vaccine rights waiver within reach, WTO chief says ahead of meeting

GENEVA, June 8 (Reuters) - An international agreement on waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines is within reach ahead of a global trade meeting next week, the head of the World…

Read More Here

World Bank, IMF, WTO leaders urge quick action on action plan to address food security

The leaders of the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization and the World Bank called for quick work on a new action plan on food security to be prepared by…

Read More Here

Kremlin says ‘nothing terrible will happen’ if Russia is expelled from G20; Belarus blocked from joining WTO

March 25 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that nothing terrible will happen if the United States and its allies succeed in expelling Russia from the Group of Twenty (G20) major…

Read More Here

EU: refers China to WTO following trade restrictions on Lithuania

BRUSSELS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - EU authorities launched a challenge at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Thursday, accusing China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania that they say threaten…

Read More Here

WTO chief says trade must do more to address ‘devastating’ vaccine inequity

The head of the World Trade Organization said on Tuesday that the low COVID-19 vaccination rate of around 4% in Africa was "devastating", saying that trade should help address vaccine…

Read More Here

WTO goods trade indicator hits record high, reflecting strong recovery

The World Trade Organization said on Wednesday its global goods barometer hit a record high, confirming the strength of trade's recovery after the deep shock caused in 2020 by the…

Read More Here

EU brings trade challenge against Russia to WTO

The European Union has requested the launch of a World Trade Organization case against Russia over measures it says restrict EU companies from selling goods to Russian state-owned enterprises. "The…

Read More Here

WTO report: Trade policy restraint prevented destructive acceleration of protectionism

Trade policy restraint by G20 economies, as well as WTO members more broadly, prevented a destructive acceleration of protectionist trade measures that would have further hurt the world economy, according…

Read More Here

Resisting patent waiver, EU submits vaccine plan to WTO

The European Union submitted to the World Trade Organization on Friday a plan it believes will more effectively broaden supply of COVID-19 vaccines than the intellectual property (IP) rights waiver…

Read More Here

WTO accepts Malaysia’s request to examine EU palm oil rules

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreed to a request from Kuala Lumpur to establish a panel examining a European Union law that restricts the use of palm oil-based biofuels, Malaysia's…

Read More Here

Experts warn vaccine IP waiver could take months for WTO to negotiate

Now that the U.S. President Joe Biden has backed a proposed waiver for COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property rights, the next stop is for the World Trade Organization to hammer out…

Read More Here

EU willing to discuss COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver – von der Leyen

The European Union is willing to discuss a proposal, now backed by the United States, to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen…

Read More Here

WTO chief seeks solutions to ‘glaring’ vaccine inequity

The head of the World Trade Organization said on Monday a meeting this week to tackle "glaring" inequity in COVID-19 vaccine allocation will be attended by major manufacturers and look at solutions such as…

Read More Here

Historic day for WTO as first female and first African takes the helm

The World Trade Organization’s first female and first African director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala began work on Monday, ending a six-month leadership void at the global trade watchdog. After a long campaign…

Read More Here

Nigeria’s candidate closes in on WTO top job after rival withdraws

Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a step closer to becoming the first African and first woman to lead the World Trade Organization, after a South Korean rival withdrew on Friday following months of…

Read More Here

Trading partners seek post-Brexit clarity at WTO

Missing deadlines has become a tradition in EU-U.K. negotiations. But this time, Brussels is getting increasingly nervous about the ticking clock. Brexit talks are set to stretch into next week…

Read More Here

WTO leadership election in limbo

The World Trade Organization has cancelled a meeting on Nov. 9 to decide on the appointment of Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the body's next director general after the United States…

Read More Here

World Tourism Organization says international travel could take four years to recover

International tourist arrivals plunged 65% in the first half of 2020 compared to last year, data from the World Tourism Organization showed, translating into an estimated $460 billion loss in…

Read More Here

Eight in race for top job at World Trade Organization

Eight candidates from Mexico to Moldova will vie for the top job at the World Trade Organization, seeking to convince its 164 members they can steer the body through intensifying…

Read More Here

U.S. trade groups urge China to increase purchases of U.S. goods, services

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and over 40 trade associations on Monday urged top U.S. and Chinese officials to redouble efforts to implement a Phase 1 trade agreement signed by…

Read More Here

South Korea’s first female trade minister bids for WTO top job

South Korea's trade minister Yoo Myung-hee on Wednesday announced her bid to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), aiming to be the first female leader at…

Read More Here

WTO begins process of selecting a new director-general

The World Trade Organization (WTO) began the process on Monday of selecting a new director-general to replace Brazil's Roberto Azevedo, who is stepping down a year early at the end…

Read More Here

WTO chief Azevedo expected to step down early

The head of the World Trade Organization will announce his early departure on Thursday more than a year before the end of his term, Geneva-based sources said, a surprise move…

Read More Here

WTO report says 80 countries limiting exports of face masks

Eighty countries and customs territories have banned or limited the export of face masks, protective gear, gloves and other goods to mitigate shortages since the coronavirus outbreak began, the World…

Read More Here

UN Global Tourism Crisis Committee releases coronavirus recovery blueprint

The World Tourism Organisation has released a set of recommendations calling for urgent support for the global tourism sector. If followed, the body hopes the sector will not only…

Read More Here

EU and 16 WTO members agree to work together on an interim appeal arbitration arrangement

During the Davos meeting Switzerland, the EU and Ministers from 16 Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have agreed to develop a multi-party interim appeal arrangement that will allow the…

Read More Here

CiConsulta GeoPolitics 2020 Forecasts – The WTO will become ineffective

As of the end of December 2019, the WTO will no longer be able to resolve disputes between its members due to a lack of judges on its appellate body.…

Read More Here

British Trade Secretary lays groundwork for independent seat at WTO

The UK is finalising preparations to become an independent member of World Trade Organization (WTO). International Trade Secretary Liz Truss is attending the WTO Public Forum in Geneva today to…

Read More Here

Global Tourism in Review – From 25 million in 1950 to 1.4 billion in 2018 – The growing role of tourism in the world’s economy (Part 1)

Tourism is on the rise. In 2018 there were a record 1.4bn international tourist arrivals, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNTWO), a rise of 6% over 2017. That doesn’t…

Read More Here